Crossroads
by charmablewolf
Summary: Ash's father knows he's not cut out for parenthood and tries to escape in the dead of night, but maybe a little run in with his young son could change his mind? Fluff. Oneshot.


_Crossroads_

_A 'Pokemon' One-shot_

_He left in the still of night without a word to either of them. _With a just a light kiss on both foreheads as parting words, the young man gathered his things into a small knapsack and quickly exited the house. He didn't look back once as he made his way down the street, dodging the lamplight as he went. The reason for departure was secret, even to him. He's just felt so lost, so useless. Being unable to sit back on the sidelines and watch as she raised their only child.

What did it mean to be a parent?

He was so little, so tiny. There was no way for him to give feedback, to tell the new father whether or not he was doing was right or wrong. Even as they sat in the hospital, almost four years ago, with her clutching his hand through the pain, he knew something didn't feel right. He knew he shouldn't be there. But he stayed.

He'd reached the end of their street now. Here, he turned and looked back at their little home, the one he'd helped build. Within only a few hours Ash would awake his mother, and they both would realize his absence. Would they care?

The young man wished not, but the logical part of him knew they'd be devastated, that was why he'd left the note.

"What am I doing?" grumbled the man beneath his breath. He hated being in this place at these crossroads, where the choice was left up to him. He was terrible at making decisions, a trait he'd hoped his son would never inherit. He'd prayed the boy would be smart like his mother and think before he'd act or spoke. Hopefully he wouldn't dive into his problems, with his head first.

But-

A shifting of bushes made the man quickly turn, pulling him from his current thoughts. Someone or something was following him. Could someone know what he was about to do?

"Whose out there? Show yourself!" growled the young man as pulled the knapsack down from his shoulder and jammed an arm inside. Clasping his hand around the small sphere, the man scowled at the bushes, "I'm warning you, come out now! I'm armed."

But nothing appeared. Instead, the bushes seemed to shake more, as if they were frightened by the man's proposal. But the man wasn't scared; he threw the knapsack aside, keeping the ball in hand.

"Alright you asked for it!" The ball flew into the air, opening to reveal a blinding light. "Raichu, come on out!"

The light, originally just an unshapened glow, began to grow and form into the shape of a tall, what appeared to be rodent type creature. It stood on its hind-legs and slashed its long tail from side to side. The creature gave a growl, showing off a row of sharpened fangs, "Rai, Rai!" it chanted.

"Last chance," murmured the young man towards the bushes, which still shook, "Why are you following me?" But the bushes remained silent, and whatever was hidden inside refused to come out.

"Raichu, Lightning bolt!"

As though it were calling upon the lightning that rested in the sky, Raichu stood it's long lightning shaped ears and tail straight up like conductors. The lighting poured down allowing the rodent to absorb the power, "Rai, Rai-"

And then came the squeak. It was so little and quiet that it was quite a wonder the young man could here it over the ruckus that the Pokemon was creating.

"Wait! Raichu! Stop!" The young man cried, throwing his hands up into the air as he screeched the command, but the Pokemon was already too charged. It released the current in one quick move but luckily, the young man was fast enough, and jumped in front of the bushes just as it struck.

"CHU!"

It was as if the young man as stuck his finger into an electrical socket. The shock danced through his body from the tips of his fingers down to his toes. It could've only lasted a moment, but he felt as though it'd been going on for hours. Finally the feeling passed until only a tingle buzzed around in his system. Flat on his back, the young man glanced at the bushes where he could a small pair of eyes starring back, full of worry.

"Rai! Rai!" murmured the Raichu sadly, feeling badly that the shock had attacked it's trainer instead of the intended target. It slowly shuffled closer to the young man; nervous at whether his reaction would be anger or praise.

Instead it was apology.

"Sorry about that buddy," apologized the man, reaching out to pat the Raichu's head, "My mistake. You've gotten pretty strong though."

Then, feeling the eyes bore into him; the man looked back to the bushes and said, "Okay, enough Ash. It's way past your bedtime."

The following reaction was not one the man was expecting, as the tiny toddler plowed his way into the man's chest. "I'm sorry!" The boy blubbered, tears racing down his cheeks, "I thought you'd be mad if you saw me following you. But I didn't know where you were going."

"Oh, oh Ash." The young man sat up and pulled the little boy into his lap, hugging him close. For a while the two sat like that, with the little one cuddled up in the older one's chest, their arms wrapped around one another.

It was the goodbye the young man had wanted to give his son, but had been too afraid to.

Ash broke the silence by reaching an arm up, and pushing away the matching coal-black hair from his fathers' face, "You're not leaving are you?"

The question the young man had been dreading, and yet here it was. Raichu gave a sad, "Chuuu," because even it knew the answer to Ash's question.

Ash's father nodded, "Sorry kiddo, I have to go. But this isn't forever you know. You still want to be a Pokemon master right?"

Ash nodded, as another tear slipped down, "Uh huh."

"Well will battle each other then. When you're older."

"Promise?" asked the little boy, holding up his smallest finger.

"Promise," replied the man, as he locked his pinkie around his son's, "And here." The man motioned for Raichu to bring the knapsack to the two. Once it was given, the young man reached into the flap and pulled out what appeared to be a baseball hat. Except this hat didn't have a team logo across the front, instead it was red and white with a green symbol.

"This is for you," remarked the father, as he popped the cap on Ash's head, laughing as it fell over the four year olds eyes.

"Your lucky hat?" asked Ash, "But you caught Raichu with this! It's your battling charm."

"Well yes, but it should fit you by the time you start your journey. And then it will be yours," replied the man as he stood cradling Ash in one arm, and the knapsack in the other, "now you must go home before your mother wakes up okay?"

Ash yawned, as they started towards home, "You still love us right?"

Did he? The young man wondered as he retraced his steps to the familiar house at the end of the street. And as he laid his son in bed, the answer finally became clear to him.

Yes. Yes he did.


End file.
